Special glass treatment enhances energy yield
September 3, 2013 – The specially treated glass surface of modules produced by Innotech Solar (ITS) allows photovoltaic systems with East/West orientation to generate especially high yields. Particularly during the morning and evening when angles of solar radiation are shallower, modules featuring the special glass produce more power than those made with standard glass.
“The installation of solar plants on roofs facing East and West was once advised against. However, the idea of fitting systems to these roofs has now become attractive yet again, thanks to the introduction of specialized products to the market and the fact that solar modules boast higher levels of performance than a few years ago. Customers have compared the yields of various module types in their plants and found that the glass contributed to ITS modules generating yields of up to 8 percent higher than other modules,” reports Dr. Thomas Hillig, Vice President Module Sales & Marketing at Innotech Solar.
The glass surface of ITS modules is processed in such a way that it reflects less sunlight, resulting in 2.5 percent more light reaching the solar cells. Research conducted at the Technical University of Denmark in Lyngby backs up what Innotech Solar’s customers have recognised showing that the difference in output between modules using special glass and those made with standard glass is even greater in low light conditions. What’s more, the treated glass boasts a self-cleaning surface structure, as condensation collects on the surface like a film and washes away any particles of dirt.
In Weinstadt in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, ITS distributor RenoSolar has worked alongside PV installation company Nuding to construct a 14.5 kWp plant fitted with Innotech Solar modules that are oriented to the East and West. The project was implemented on the flat roof of a residential building. “The ability of the special glass found in Innotech Solar modules to boost the yield of East/West systems impressed us so much that we decided to use these modules in our plant,” explains Hans Blahusch from Nuding located in Meßkirch in Germany. The majority of the power generated is being consumed on site by the building’s residents. Solar plants with East/West orientation are especially suited to on-site consumption, as they produce power at times when households require the most electricity. In contrast to solar plants directed towards the South, the yield does not peak during the middle part of the day when less power is generally needed.
About Innotech Solar
The Scandinavian-German company manufactures solar modules in Europe and sells them worldwide. Innotech Solar specializes in the production of particularly environmentally friendly modules with optimized solar cells and uses innovative processes developed by in-house research teams to do so.
Innotech Solar optimizes solar cells in Halle an der Saale, Germany, and manufactures its modules in a former REC solar factory in Glava, Sweden, which thanks to its fully automated production lines is one of Europe’s most modern manufacturing plants. The production process is powered at both sites using 100 percent renewable energy.
